BBC indicates “Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has been elected as the Pope – the head of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics.” He has chosen his pope name to be Pope Benedict XVI. (For the Roman unsavvy XVI is the 16th.) Just to set your timeline straight, the last Benedict (XV) reigned 1914-1922. For the timeline unsavvy that is the era of WWI and it’s aftermath.
As morbid/uncouth as it may be (though I think it is neither), when Pope John Paul II passed on, my wife, Miranda Kopfschmertzen and I began taking about what papal name we would like to see revived by JP2’s successor. Originally I was dead set on wanting another Innocent, but then after careful consideration I revised my decision. I was rooting for another Clement, where my wife, Miranda Kopfschmertzen was pinning her hopes on a Pius. What I would really like to see is a chick-Pope, but I doubt that will happen in my lifetime.
At any rate, good on you, Catholics and God speed.